We’re all pretty excited for the weekend of music and fun down in Nelsonville, which is now only hours from kickoff. There’s a lot to see and hear, so as promised, I’m gonna layout what I think are going to be highlights for me. You know what they say about the best laid plans though – there’s going to be friends to see, beer, naps, etc. and performances will most certainly be missed. You don’t have to listen to me – you can see a list of artists, complete with descriptions and links here. Picking from this line-up is tough, but my path, roughly in order, will look something like this:

Friday- I’m excited to see Justin Townes Earle (one of two son-of-a-legend sets this weekend). He was supposed to play a gig in Columbus a while back, but a day or so before the show, his tour was cancelled do to some rockstar issues. I’m excited to see George Jones not so much because I have a lot of personal history with the guy, but more because he IS history. You can’t pass up a chance to see one of the greats. From the main stage area, I’ll swing over to the Porch Stage to see a Columbus double header of Nick Tolford followed by Mount Carmel.

Saturday- This is going to be pretty much a main stage day, but there are some real gems all over the Festival. I’m going to start with the haunting Baby Dee, and from there go to the No-Fi Cabin, which is one of the real treats of the Fest. There’s zero amplification, no stage, and nothing much more intimate in live performance. Lovely Eve Searls will enchant with her quirky folk ukulele, followed by close associate and Black Swans front man Jerry DeCicca. This guy will whisper-croon some dark and smoky tales, while evoking a chuckle or two along the way. Ned Oldham plays after them, and the cabin seems a perfect venue. Continue reading →

Seven days and counting, waiting for the clouds to divest themselves of what seems like endless rain, until the 7th annual Nelsonville Music Festival. I pretty much gushed about the Fest last year, and am looking forward to another go. If the buzz around Columbus is any indicator, I’m not alone in my anticipation – some combination of the word getting out about a good thing and a growing contingency of recognizable national headliners makes me think that this will be a bigger and better operation in terms of both crowd and bill. The Fest has undergone a fairly meteoric rise from rustic small town beginnings, becoming a must-see event for many around here and garnering some greater attention abroad. It’s not too late to get on board and cement your ‘I remember when…’ memories – daily and weekend passes are still available. It’s clear that part of the experience with Nelsonville is the aesthetics of the grounds, the charm of the volunteers running it, the accessibility of the artists and sets. I’m optimistic that the fine folks at Stuart’s Opera House (who organize it) will both recognize and preserve the neighborly vibe, even while playing host to some pretty big name acts. Continue reading →

Today the good folks behind the Nelsonville Music Festival announced some more reasons to attend their festival May 13-15. We told you about headliners the Flaming Lips, Neko Case and George Jones. Add to that Justin Townes Earle (Friday), Lost in the Trees (Sunday), Bomba Estereo (late night Friday, Columbian Electro-Cumbia), Mucca Pazza (Saturday, 35-piece marching band), The Growlers (Friday), Duke Junior & The Smokey Boots, Whale Zombie, Scubadog and Chris Biester. Rumor has it Nick Tolford & Co. may make an appearance, as well.

I just want to sing the praises of the Nelsonville Music Festival for a minute, because not only did they provide me with a pretty killer weekend, I think they deserve some props for putting together one of those things that makes you feel psyched to be in Ohio, and that you’re kinda glad not everyone knows how good we’ve got it. I’ll preface this with a story that describes the tone of this festival and the people who are involved: I called down to Stuart’s Opera House to ask if I could add a camping spot to my ticket purchase (“sure no problem man..oh yeah, Ben, gotcha right here”) and midway through taking my credit card number, the dude on the phone was like ‘hold up a minute, someone just brought a puppy in here to work and all hell is breaking loose.’ So we took a little break from the transaction until the giggling died off. I mean, are these people- these volunteers- who care more about puppies than takin’ your money, the kind of folks that you want to spend a weekend listening to bands with? Yes.

This is the festival’s sixth year, but is arguably the second year after a major growth spurt brought about by the addition of some major national acts. The transition from local town street fair to booking legends like Willie Nelson and Loretta Lynn has certainly increased attendance, but has not managed to warp the event into something that feels corporate or contrived. Not once did I see some cargo pants wearin’, flashlight totin’ security guy with “STAFF” on his back shakin’ somebody down; not once did a lycra-clad promotions girl try to give me packets of gum or sign me up for a credit card. What I did see was a really nice mix of familiar local bands and big time performers in a pretty sweet setting. Check out some more chat and photos below.Continue reading →

If I were to make a video montage of my experience at the Nelsonville Music Festival last weekend it would go something like this: Cue Michael Hurley’s unamplified voice fighting to be heard over The Detroit Cobras, Man Man‘s ability to be a public spectacle anywhere, some bitchin’ mullets (and mild honky-tonk fans) hootin’ and hollerin’ at an impressive (and tired) Loretta Lynn and Sharon Jones infiltrating mid-Ohio like it was her very own stomping ground. All of that in just two days is well worth the drive and ticket price and lack of phone reception.

Aside from the obvious big name highlights of the festival, seeing local acts shine outside of Columbus was particularly fulfilling. Both Moon High and The Alwood Sisters played to eager crowds. Rounding out the weekend is my recommendation to check out Louisiana-based GIVERS. This band showed some serious enthusiasm that was easily matched by its rowdy audience.